Climate Emergency Action Plan (July 2021)

Consumption

Key messages

In order to reduce consumption, it will be necessary to raise awareness amongst residents and businesses as to the energy required to produce and transport the goods or utilities in question. This in turn can lead of behavioural change and a reduction in consumption.

Small changes, by many users across the borough, has the potential to bring large savings in consumption related energy. In this regard the council, as an employer and large energy user, should seek to set examples of best practice and encourage the same across the borough.

Commitment	Action	Partners	Timescale
Reducing consumption
As an organisation we will seek to reduce our purchase and use of high energy commodities, for example single use plastics and meat based products.	Annual review of single use plastics strategy. Council has committed to eliminate the use of single use plastics by 2025		Annual Ongoing Medium term
Provide free public access water fountains	Post pandemic implement 50 fountains pledge, providing free public access water fountains across the borough	Schools and colleges, local businesses	Medium term, or earlier as safe to do so
We will move to a more plant based menu for functions and meetings, and to purchase products made within the UK in order to reduce transport miles	As a Council we seek to set an example as to how to offer healthy, more plant based menu items whilst supporting local food businesses and reducing food miles		Annual Ongoing
We will also work with partners, businesses and residents to encourage responsible consumption and share best practice.	Campaigns and events to support buying local, buying seasonal	Schools and colleges, local businesses, voluntary sector, residents	Short term
Work with schools, colleges and partners to encourage more low carbon cooking and meals, and reduce food waste	Both by schools/colleges and outside these environments by the students and staff	LCC, school meal providers, schools and colleges	Short term
Review Council procurement procedures	To ensure environmental implications are adequately considered and weighted for all procurement activities		Short term
Review of Council’s use of insecticides and herbicides	To consider environmental implications		Short term
Work to improve the carbon emissions of Council events	Provision of environmental assessments for all large Council organised events by 2027 Council organised events to be carbon neutral by 2030		Medium term Long term
Reduce consumption of paper and cardboard across all Council activities	This will include a paper audit during 2022, to inform and influence change We will reduce paper and cardboard consumption by 10% each year to 2024, We will reduce paper and cardboard consumption by a further 5% each year to 2027		Short term Short term Medium term
Reduce consumption by use of repair groups	Facilitate local repair café/ groups to encourage repair instead of replacement	Local businesses, voluntary sector	Short term
Use of street trading consents to prevent use of single use plastics	Post pandemic, revision of Council street trading consent conditions to reduce use of single use plastics	Local businesses	Medium term, or earlier as safe to do so
Work to reduce packaging of goods	Work with local manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and retailers to reduce packaging of goods, enabling consumer choice and reducing purchase of unnecessary packaging.	Local businesses	Short term
Investigate potential reduction in consumption within the agricultural improvements	Investigate potential savings and improvements across the agricultural sector, and how the Council can support the agricultural sector	NFU, agricultural sector	Short term
Learning from best practice	Learning from best practices in Councils and organisations where successful progress has been made	Local Authorities, school and colleges, businesses	Ongoing Annual
Repair and re-use
Reduce consumption by use of repair groups	Facilitate local repair café/ groups to encourage repair instead of replacement	Local businesses, voluntary sector	Short term
Facilitate a cycle repair facility	Facilitate local facilities to encourage repair instead of replacement	Local businesses, residents Inc SRBC	Short term
Working for national change
Respond to consultations	To facilitate / promote delivery of above actions at earliest opportunity		Ongoing Annual